Christmas Hope
by FateChica
Summary: Set during Christmas vacation; Gohan invites Videl over to his house for dinner during the holidays, setting up the perfect atmosphere for romance. From Videl's POV


I've done a Christmas fic! A Gohan/Videl one at that! I've seen a couple of them out there and decided that I'd take a small break from "Love's Trials" to write this little Christmas fic just in time for the holiday itself. Well, please read it and tell me what you think. I'm warning you, it's nothing but pure fluff. Be prepared for cuteness!  
  
Disclaimer: I think that the fact that I've written the word "disclaimer" says everything. I'm not saying anymore. We already know what I would write in this. So, just insert your own disclaimer in here as if I would say it, ok?  
  
----------Christmas Hope----------  
I sighed in relief as the bell rang, signaling the end of the school day. I couldn't have been more relieved. Each day that went by meant that Christmas vacation was coming closer and closer. Now we only had a week left of school before the holidays and I could hardly wait. With a small smile on my face, I put my books into my bag and stood up, walking into the crowded hallways of Orange Star High School, navigating my way instinctually to my locker where I would pack up the rest of my books before flying home to enjoy the glorious weekend that was waiting ahead of me.   
  
In no time, I was at my locker, sifting through the pile of schoolbooks that rested inside the metal box for the ones that I would need over the weekend for my homework. As I looked through my locker, I noticed a figured approaching me out of the corner of my eye. I turned my head to see Gohan headed my way, a smile on his face.  
  
"Hey Videl, what's up?" Gohan said as he walked past me over to where his locker was, two over from mine. I gave him a small smile in return.  
  
"Nothing," I said, "Just getting ready to go home for the weekend. You too, I take it." I indicated the piles of books that Gohan was shoving into his bag with a nod of my head. Gohan looked down at the load he was taking home and laughed bashfully.  
  
"Yeah, I have a lot of homework to do," Gohan said. He paused, as if to reconsider what he had just said before revising his statement. "Well, a lot of homework that my mom wants me to do," he said, a look of slight annoyance spreading over his features. I laughed slightly at that.  
  
"Aww, poor Gohan. Has to do work all weekend," I said, a pout on my face, pretending to feel sympathy for the boy in front of me. Gohan glared at me, but he was smiling the entire time, so I knew he wasn't seriously glaring at me.  
  
"Shut up," he said, leaning over to punch me on the arm.  
  
"Ow!" I exclaimed as he punched me, "You didn't have to do it so hard, you know! I was only joking!" Gohan blinked in confusion before a look of guilt took over his face.   
  
"Oh, Kami, Videl. I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to punch you that hard. I didn't even think I'd punched you that hard!" Gohan said, his voice apologetic. I immediately calmed down at the look on his face and the tone in his voice. I found it increasingly harder each day to stay mad at Son Gohan.  
  
"It's alright, Gohan. You just caught me off guard. That's why it hurt so much," I said, lying through my teeth. It didn't catch me off guard at all, but there was nothing else I could say. I couldn't come up with any other explanation for why his punch had hurt so much. He didn't look like he was trying very hard; what was up with that?   
  
Gohan smiled as he heard the forgiveness in my voice and I found my heart palpitating quickly inside of my chest, as if it was preparing to do flips inside of me. What was it about his smile that affected me so much?  
  
"Ok, just as long as I didn't hurt you too badly. We wouldn't want that," Gohan said, a tone of voice I could only describe as sexy. What was happening to me?   
  
"If you had hurt me, I would have had to kick your ass," I said, a smirk on my face. Gohan smirked back and closed his locker, walking towards me slowly. He stepped so that he was right in front of me and leaned forward so that we were at eye level. My eyes widened as he got closer and for a second, I though he might kiss me. Part of me was hoping that he would while the other part was trying to squash that hope like a bug.   
  
I just stared at his face, totally unaware that several people had stopped in the hall to look at the two of us. I looked into his eyes and found myself unable to describe the gaze that was held in them, but I blushed at the intensity of it. I felt my cheeks go hot and I inwardly berated myself for letting me get so worked up over a guy. But I like the way he was looking at me. It made me feel special, wanted, whatever the look was.   
  
I felt a tingly feeling, the same feeling that had come over me for the last couple of months ever since I started to really like Gohan and I drew in a shaky breath as his smirk widened, almost a grin. I had never noticed that he was so good looking before and the realization that he was hit me like a ton of bricks.  
  
"I'd love to see you try and kick my ass," Gohan said, his voice almost a whisper. He pulled away suddenly and looked down at me as if nothing had happened.  
  
"Well, see you later Videl!" he said before walking away, "Have a good weekend!" I didn't say anything back as he walked away; I was too much in shock to do anything for several moments until Eraser brought me out of it, snapping her fingers in front of my face to bring me out of my daze.  
  
"Hello! Earth to Videl!" Eraser exclaimed loudly. I shook me head to clear my mind and looked at Eraser.  
  
"What?" I asked. She threw me a Don't-Play-Dumb look and sighed in exasperation.  
  
"What was that all about with Gohan? What's going on between you two?" Eraser asked. I looked at Eraser, playing innocent, hoping that I wasn't blushing all the while.  
  
"What are you talking about, Eraser?" I asked as I closed my locker and walked to the front doors of the school, putting on my jacket as to not get cold in the winter weather.  
  
"You know what I'm talking about, Videl. I saw it. Gohan looked like he was going to kiss you and you looked like you had no objections. Spill it, girl. I want to know all," Eraser said, a sly smile on her face as we walked outside, descending the steps in front of the high school.  
  
"There's nothing going on between me and Gohan, Eraser. I don't even like him like that!" I said, lying to my best friend. Eraser raised an eyebrow suspiciously.  
  
"Right," she drawled, "If you don't like him as more than a friend, then I'm the Queen of the Universe. I don't believe you for a minute, Satan Videl, so why don't you just confess to your best friend?" I sighed.   
  
"Fine, I do like Gohan as more than a friend," I said, not believing that I was confessing something so personal so easily, "It's hard not to like him as more than that, you know?" Eraser nodded.  
  
"Yep, I know. I mean, he's smart, nice, incredibly good-looking...what's not to like?" Eraser said, a smile on her face as I blushed, thinking the same thing about Gohan myself.  
  
"You know," Eraser continued, "if anything does happen between you two, which it most likely will, you're going to have a lot of girls that will hate your guts. I mean, the list of girls that like Gohan is so long, it's unbelievable. But, I think you have the best chance out of everybody. He really only pays attention to you." I looked at Eraser, hopefulness in my eyes.  
  
"Does he?" I asked and Eraser nodded.  
  
"Yeah. He's always staring at you, Videl. I think he really likes you too. I mean, he doesn't look at any other girls like he looks at you," Eraser said and I felt my whole body go all tingly again. I gave Eraser a small smile.  
  
"Well, I better get home," I said, "My father's expecting me to be home soon." Eraser gave me a small smile in return.  
  
"Bye Videl. Have a good weekend," Eraser said before walking off in the direction of her house. I, too, took off, but in the opposite direction, thinking all the while about what Eraser had told me.  
  
'He doesn't look at any other girls like he looks at you,' she had said to me. Those words filled me with hope, hope that my feelings for Gohan were reciprocated by him. I smiled as I continued to walk home. Maybe he would become mine. And, if he was going to be, I was going to try my damned hardest to make it happen as soon as possible.  
  
***  
The next week had gone by quickly and uneventfully. Gohan had done nothing like he had done that Friday afternoon and I hadn't acted any differently towards him, though I was constantly having to keep my feelings for him below the surface for I didn't know what I would do if they were allowed to reign free at the surface.   
  
But, then something happened on the final afternoon of school before Christmas break that would end up changing my life forever. I was standing at my locker, just as I had been doing the week before, but I was putting all of my books in my locker, emptying out my school bag completely; I didn't have any homework over the holidays and there was no point in bringing any of my books home with me when I didn't need them.   
  
As I was emptying out my bag, I saw, or rather felt, someone approaching me. Turning, I wasn't surprised to see Gohan walking up towards me, a smile on his face as always.  
  
"Hey Videl. I have something to ask you," he said, a little bashful. I smiled back, thinking about how cute he was when he was nervous.  
  
"Sure, what is it?" I asked back, prompting him to continue. He smiled a little wider.  
  
"Well, would you come over and have dinner at my house on Sunday? My mom really wants to meet my friends and you were the first person I thought of that I wanted to introduce to my mother. So, will you come over?" I was very taken aback by Gohan's request. He wanted to introduce me to his mom? I was the first person he thought of? I suddenly felt very special and I smiled widely.  
  
"Of course I'll come over. Just tell me when and I'll be there," I said. Gohan thought for a couple of seconds before speaking.  
  
"Well, how about around 3:30. That'll give me enough time to show you around where I live before dinner starts," Gohan said.  
  
"You live out in the 439 Mountain Area, right?" I asked, remembering what it was that he had said several months ago about where he lived. Gohan nodded, looking surprised that I had remembered such a trivial detail.  
  
"How did you remember where I lived?" Gohan asked. I smirked as I thought about how to answer Gohan's question. It was time for payback for what he did to me the week before. I walked up to him and placed my hands on his chest in order to brace myself, feeling his heart beating rapidly below my palms, as I stood on my toes to whisper into his ear.  
  
"I always try to remember things about the people I care about," I said in a whisper, feeling him shiver slightly underneath my touch. I pulled away and smiled at him.  
  
"I'll see you on Sunday, Gohan," I said, walking away, leaving Gohan to puzzle over what I had just done. As I walked away, I had to laugh at what I had just done. It was out of character for me...but it was fun. Suddenly, I couldn't wait for Sunday to arrive.  
  
***  
Two days later, I was flying to Gohan's house in my jet, one hand on the steering wheel, the other hand smoothing over my hair. I had decided that since I was meeting his mother, that I would put on a good impression. I had decided to leave my hair down for the occasion and I was wearing a pair of casual blue jeans with a white, three-quarter length shirt, maintaining a sense of comfort while still looking good. I wore no makeup because I couldn't stand the stuff, but I figured I looked good enough as it was and that Gohan might think something was wrong if he saw me wearing makeup.   
  
The flight was a long one and I arrived at Gohan's house only a couple of minutes late. I pulled on my winter jacket and scarf before exiting the plane, putting it back in its capsule. I took a moment after sealing the capsule in my pocket to look around the area where Gohan lived and I gasped as I did so. Gohan had said that the area where he lived was beautiful, but I hadn't though it would be as beautiful as the sight I was currently looking at.   
  
Snow was falling delicately to the ground, coating the trees around his house in a soft whiteness that contrasted the green beautifully. There was nature for as far as the eye could see and I wouldn't have been surprised if Gohan's house was the only one around for miles. Shaking myself out of my awe, I walked over to the door and knocked on it, noticing that the house looked cozy from the outside. Seconds later, the door opened, revealing a middle-aged woman. I knew at once that it was Gohan's mother. She smiled warmly at me.  
  
"Hello, you must be Videl. My son has said some wonderful things about you. Come on in," she said, stepping aside so I could enter the small abode. Although several times smaller than my own house, I felt extremely comfortable and at peace in Gohan's home, more so than in my own house. I removed my jacket and scarf, which Gohan's mother took and put into the front closet. Turning to face me, she had a genuinely abashed look on her face.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry. I've forgotten to introduce myself. I'm Chi-Chi," Chi-Chi said, holding out her hand for me to shake, which I took and shook heartily. Chi-Chi gave me an approving glance as she raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Hmm, strong grip. That's good, very good," she murmured.  
  
"Excuse me?" I said, very confused. Chi-Chi suddenly smiled and shook aside the comment with a wave of her hand.  
  
"Oh, never mind. I'll go and tell Gohan that you're here." I nodded and Chi-Chi disappeared up the stairs to retrieve her son. I took the opportunity to explore the house a little and I wandered into the room on my left, noticing immediately that it was the living room. In the far corner of the room was a large Christmas tree, completely with lights and ornaments, several presents scattered underneath the tree.   
  
I walked over to the tree and knelt on the ground, curiosity getting the best of me as I looked at the presents. There were several people to whom the presents were addressed that I didn't know. There was one to a person named Krillin, and a few from him, to someone named Yamcha, another person named Bulma, and several other people I had never heard of. My eyes rested on a small box that lay off to the side and I picked it up, gasping in surprise as I saw that it was addressed to me, from Gohan. Shocked, I put the present back down on the ground, feeling bad because I hadn't gotten Gohan anything in return.   
  
I stood up from the Christmas tree and walked away, stopping as a tall figure appeared in the door. It was Gohan and he was staring at me with his mouth hanging open. I took a couple of moments to inspect him, noting that he looked really good in the jeans and black turtleneck that he was wearing. Both articles of clothing hugged his body, outlining the muscularity that I had never seen on him before. I was dumbstruck. How could I have not noticed how incredibly built he was? I quickly shook myself out of it, trying to ignore how incredibly handsome he was for the moment, and addressed the issue of him staring at me like a guppy.  
  
"What's wrong, Gohan? What are you staring at?" I asked. He blushed lightly and smiled.  
  
"Nothing. It's just that I've never seen you with your hair down. You look really pretty with it down." It was my turn to blush as his words registered in my mind.   
  
"Thanks," I said. Gohan smiled back.  
  
"Don't thank me. I'm just stating the truth," Gohan said. For a couple of minutes, there was silence between the two of us until he broke it.  
  
"Well," he said, clearing his throat, "do you want me to show you around?" I smiled.  
  
"Sure, that would be nice," I replied.  
  
"And do you mind if we bring Goten along? He loves going outside," Gohan said. I nodded.  
  
"Yeah, but, one question: who is Goten?" I asked.  
  
"Oh, he's my little brother. I could have sworn I told you about him," Gohan said, honestly puzzled.  
  
"Well," I said, walking over to Gohan and placing my hand on his arm, "It really doesn't matter if you told me earlier or not. Let's just get your brother and go outside." Gohan smiled at me.  
  
"Ok," Gohan said, walking over to the staircase. "Hey Squirt!" he called out, "Come down and meet Videl! We're going outside!" Seconds later, I saw a blur moving down the stairs, landing by Gohan.  
  
"HI!" the small kid replied, "You must be Videl! I'm Goten!" I smiled; it was hard not to smile at the adorableness of Gohan's kid brother.  
  
"It's nice to meet you, Goten. Do you want to go and play outside?" I asked. He nodded enthusiastically.  
  
"Yeah!" he said, "We can play in the snow, right?" Gohan nodded.  
  
"Yeah, Squirt. Now get on your jacket and let's go outside." The three of us moved over to the hall closet, collecting our jackets, before going outside and enjoying the winter weather.  
  
***  
Hours later, after dinner was over (which was, might I add, the most delicious thing I'd ever eaten), Gohan and I were sitting in front of the fireplace, each of us nursing a mug of hot chocolate. We were in the middle of holding the best conversation we had had with each other, talking about everything from school to martial arts, which both of us were interested in greatly. As the night wore on, the two of us grew more quiet, each of us just enjoying the company of the other. I was staring into the flames, thinking about how happy I was with Gohan, when he spoke up beside me.  
  
"You know," he said in a soft voice, "You look really beautiful with the light from the fire against your skin." I looked over at him, shocked, and Gohan continued to speak.  
  
"Yeah, and the light from the fire makes your eyes sparkle," Gohan said, a small, gentle smile on his face, "It just makes you even more beautiful than you already are." I looked at his face, gauging if he was telling the truth or not. Then I saw the sincerity in his eyes and I knew he was telling the truth. I stared at him with complete shock still on my face, frozen as I thought of how to respond to Gohan's words. As it took longer for me to respond, the look of Gohan's face turned to one of anguish as I didn't respond. He obviously thought that he had done something wrong.  
  
"Oh, Kami, I'm sorry Videl. I didn't mean-" I knew from the moment that he started speaking that he was going to go through a litany of apologies, so I decided to stop him before he could go any longer. Before he could get any deeper into his apologies, I moved forward and pressed my lips against his in a gentle kiss, effectively shutting him up. I pulled away and looked at the surprised look on Gohan's face.   
  
He looked at me, not knowing how to react for a couple of moments. I knew he was fine when his face broke out into a small smile, lighting up his features. I smiled back at him and we leaned into each other, our lips meeting a second time. We sat in front of the fire, kissing each other softly, as I finally let my feelings for Gohan come to the surface, putting them into my kisses. Our kisses reflected the relaxed, romantic mood of the evening. His fingers wove through my hair and put my arms underneath his, resting my hands on his shoulders as I brought him closer to me.   
  
We kissed for several more minutes before we pulled apart, slowly and almost reluctantly. We looked at each other and I giggled as he leaned over to kiss my forehead tenderly. My feelings for Gohan grew by the second until I thought I was going to burst if I didn't say something soon. I decided I was going to speak from my heart, so I opened my mouth to speak.  
  
"Gohan, I think I'm falling in love with you," I whispered softly. Gohan looked down at me and smiled, not saying anything as he pulled away from me.   
  
"I have something for you, Videl," he said as he walked over to the Christmas tree and pulled out the small present for me that I had spotted for me earlier that day. He walked over to me and sat back down, handing me the box.  
  
"Here," he said gently, "This is for you. Go on...open it." I looked up at him, a soft smile on my face, as I unwrapped the box, opening it as the wrapping paper fell to the floor. Tears came to my eyes as I spotted what was in the box. It was a delicate, white gold chain with a white gold ring on it. I picked up the chain and looked at it, awe on my face.  
  
"Oh, Gohan," I said, my voice no higher than a whisper. He smiled softly.  
  
"Read the inscription on the inside," he said. I tilted the ring so that I could see the inside of the ring. It read, "Forever yours, love Gohan."  
  
"It's a promise ring. Merry Christmas, Videl," he said softly, taking the chain from me and clasping it around my neck. A couple of tears fell down my cheeks as I looked up at him.  
  
"I feel so bad," I said, "I didn't get you anything for Christmas." Gohan could obviously sense my distress and he smiled as he cupped my face in his hands.  
  
"You've given me everything I wanted," he said in a whisper, smiling down at me, "You've given me your love and that's all I want." I smiled through my tears and I hugged him tightly.  
  
"Merry Christmas, Gohan," I said.  
  
"Merry Christmas to you too, Videl," Gohan said back. I smiled as he hugged me. Christmas hadn't even arrived and I already gotten what I wanted: Gohan's love...and that's all I would ever need.  
  
------------  
Well, what did you think? Was it sappy? It really wasn't all that Christmasy...just based during Christmas. I think it was just a device for me to get Gohan and Videl together. Well, you know the drill. Now that you've read, what's the next step, boys and girls? REVIEW!!! 


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